PREDICTABILITY OF FOETAL WEIGHT BY MEASUREMENT OF MATERNAL ABDOMINAL GIRTH AND SYMPHYSIOFUNDAL HEIGHT DURING “LATENT PHASE” OF LABOUR

Abstract

INTRODUCTION This is a prospective study carried out at Ayinke house maternity hospital, the obstetrics and gynaecology department of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital between the 3rd of February 2007 to the 14th of October 2007.

AIM OF THE STUDY This study aims to examine the predictability of actual birth weight using the product of symphysiofundal height and maternal abdominal girth during labour.

METHODOLOGY A cross-section of the booked and unbooked patients at term with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies were interviewed before delivery. Exclusion criteria were multiple pregnancy, breech presentation, abnormal lie, antepartum haemorrhage, eclampsia, polyhydramnios, preterm labour, ruptured membranes, obvious congenital abnormalities and oligohydramnios. Symphysiofundal height, maternal abdominal girth, parity, maternal weight and age were obtained from 895 patients in labour, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The products of symphysiofundal height and maternal abdominal girth were obtained with the actual and predelivery birth weight. These data were stored and analysed on a computer using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11. Frequency tables and graphs were made. Appropriate statistical procedures such as descriptive statistics (including means, standard deviations and standard error of means) were employed. Pearson’s products- moment correlation coefficient was used to compare similarity and relationship between
the pre-delivery predicted weight and the actual birth weight. Multiple regression analysis was performed for predictive power of the independent variables (predictors). RESULTS Among the sample generally, there is a strong and positive significant correlation between pre-delivery predicted weight and actual birth weight. They both increase steadily in the same direction, a very strong relationship which indicated a good measure of similarity (82.6%). Correlation coefficient is statistically significant in all cases (p-value < 0.01).
CONCLUSION The method of predicting birth weight from the product of SFH and MAG proves accurate for Para 0 to Para 4, and fairly true for Para 5. Generally, the pre-delivery predicted weight (the product of symphysiofundal height and maternal abdominal girth) is a good prediction of the actual birth weight. Using multiple regression, a predictive model was also formed to better predict the actual birth weigh, once the symphysiofundal height and maternal abdominal girth are known.

PREDICTABILITY OF FOETAL WEIGHT BY MEASUREMENT OF MATERNAL ABDOMINAL GIRTH AND SYMPHYSIOFUNDAL HEIGHT DURING “LATENT PHASE” OF LABOUR